Community Visionaries: The Kinette Club of Stettler

It could happen to anyone: one night, you go to bed with a freshly mowed lawn and the next morning, you wake up to a sea of pink and dozens of plastic flamingos standing proudly in your front yard. On the surface, it’s a playful prank, a burst of laughter in the neighbourhood. But for the Kinette Club of Stettler, it’s also a clever way to raise funds, bring people together and shine a spotlight on the heart of their community.



Each spring, the excitement builds as folks in the community donate $30 to the Kinettes to prank their neighbour with a surprise flocking. “People are so silly and love the Flamingo Fundraiser,” says Hayley Fawcett, Vice President of the club. “The flockings allow us to raise funds for community projects and highlight our club at the same time. It’s really hard to miss a yard full of pink flamingos!”

That mix of fun and purpose is exactly what has defined the Kinettes for more than 70 years. Chartered in 1950, the club began as the sister organization to the Stettler Kinsmen Club and has since grown into a dynamic organization committed to service, leadership and fellowship.

With just 12 members, their reach extends far beyond their size, thanks to both Stettler’s strong community spirit and the wider support of Kin Canada, the national association of Kinsmen, Kinettes and Kin clubs. 

The projects they take on reflect both local and national needs. They’ve raised funds for STARS Air Ambulance, supported the Stettler Hospice Society, donated to the BGC Stettler Heartland Youth Center, offered bursaries to high school students and provided annual contributions to Cystic Fibrosis Canada through their Highway Hold Up fundraiser.

The list goes on.

Their most ambitious undertaking in recent years was the Rosedale Tot Lot revitalization, where they helped build Stettler’s first wheelchair-accessible and inclusive playground in partnership with the Stettler Kinsmen Club. It’s a clear reminder of the organization’s impact on the community, says Hayley.

But for the Kinettes, it’s not just the big projects or hilarious lawn takeovers that matter. It’s the opportunity to bring people together.

Events like Oktoberfest and Ladies Night Out draw crowds of women from every age and background, with neighbours rolling up their sleeves to volunteer, buy raffle tickets or simply show up in support of the next cause. In a place like Stettler, community involvement runs deep, and the Kinettes are often at the heart of it.

That sense of supporting the community is what keeps Hayley coming back to the Kinettes and contributing where she can. “I’m passionate about giving back and leaving this community as a place where people want to be,” she says. “This is the world I’m leaving to my son, and I want it to be one he’s proud of.”